The Reentry Project

The Reentry Project is managed by a Steering Committee of formerly incarcerated women and men as well as service providers, educators and advocates. It addresses barriers to community reentry, with a focus on improving access to housing and employment.

In 2010, the Reentry Project released a position paper — Barred from Housing  – that challenged the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to make housing accessible to people with criminal backgrounds. Under current CHA-set policies, a formerly incarcerated person must wait at least five years to apply for housing. Our findings were based on a two-year study that included Steering Committee interviews with researchers and government officials.

More than 115 providers, non-profits and political leaders have endorsed this position paper since then. Presentations were made by Senior Community Organizer Drea Hall (top photo, in the middle) and others on the Reentry Committee, including Sonovia Petty (far left).

In May 2011, after a year’s advocacy, the CHA administration wrote that it would adopt our recommendation that would allow someone with a criminal background to show proof they have changed their lives. This process would occur when an ex-offender submits a housing application, and would notify applicants of an appeal process should they be denied. We are now advocating that the new CHA administration implement this change.

Photo by Betsy Neely (Avalanche in B Photography).